Plastic Bags or Containers???

This came up in the comments from my last post. If you prep food ahead, what do you use for food storage - plastic bags or containers?

I use a combination of both - see these two drawers in my kitchen are devoted to them! :)

The plastic bags are handy & I can easily label right on them. But I keep thinking about how many of them I use, the money they cost & if it might be better financially (long-term) & environmentally to switch more of my "convenience" foods over to plastic containers. I just don't care for the idea that I'm being wasteful.

I did some searching online for small (approx. 1-2 oz) size containers that come with lids... for things like a tablespoon of sliced almonds or salad dressings. Yes, I would measure everything ahead if it was possible. If I could just throw all my meals together in assembly line fashion I would be in bliss. Anyhow, the only ones I could find were from Tupperware and a little spendy, especially considering the quantity I would need. If anyone knows of any other tiny containers like this, I'd love to hear about them. :)

On to other news... The Around the World Challenge at the gym starts on Monday!

The requirements are pretty tough, and I know from experience it sucks in a major way if you get behind. I dusted off the calculator (ok, I found it on my phone lol) and figured out exactly how much I'd have to do for each part if I did that part every day, 30 days & 20 days. I tested the numbers to see how its going to go on the bike, circuit machines & elliptical tonight... just trying to get a feel for how much time I'm going to have to spend in the gym. I'm thinking its a pretty good idea to pack a blanket & pillow in the car so I can just live there, lol. It looks like it will take 2-3 hours a day... if I go 30 of the 43 days. Granted I might get through some of it faster if I lowered the resistance level, but I don't see how that is in the best interest of my long term goals, so I don't want to do it just for the sake of getting in the miles or sets. Now if it gets down to the last day, I may change my mind about that, lol.

I'm kicking meal planning & food prep into high gear over the next couple days... so hopefully I will be prepared when Monday morning rolls around. A question though... my calorie burn at the gym is going to jump from about 800 to 1500-2000. With the increase in calories burned, should I modify my calorie intake? And if so, how much?

Geesh, I'm all full of questions tonight! lol

Oh, I saw a sneak peek at the prizes they are giving away this year. It looks like they tripled the number of prizes & some of them are awesome. One is an overnight stay at a historical hotel/spa that I've been dying to go to since I was 16. Definitely something to keep my tush moving when I wanna curl up in a ball & die!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! :)

Safeway Loves Me, The Conspiracy & Convenience Food

They really do! Look at that beautiful grocery ad for the week! Chicken breasts are on sale & we are literally down to our last three pieces of chicken in the freezer... so its perfect timing. Honestly chicken is almost always on sale at one store another so that's not such a BIG deal. But, look right next to the chicken & see BLUEBERRIES. They are buy one get one free!!!!!! I am soooooo happy about this. Blueberries are my absolute favorite fruit, but they are just too expensive for me to buy fresh during the winter unless they are on sale. Needless to say, I haven't had any in a LONG time. Frozen ones just don't do it for me... so I wait patiently for the fresh and now it appears my wait is over! Yay!



This is what I took along to kids group for my dinner last night...





And, its what I was thinking of as my Mom was munching away on her Doritos. I packed it in one of those Fit & Fresh bowls I picked up at Ross a couple weeks ago. It worked out perfectly, other than the included spoon that kept wanting to fold, lol. Breakfast for Dinner... but until I get to the grocery store again its all about getting creative in this house.

Update on the alliance/conspiracy: To be crystal clear, I have NO (well almost no) interest in what my Mom and The Husband choose to eat as long as they don't push it on me. If they want to gorge themselves on cheeseburgers & pizza more power to em. Selfish perhaps, but my main concern is making sure I'm putting mostly healthy things in my body... cuz lets be real here, I still LOVE all of those indulgent foods... but I CHOOSE to limit them. And, naturally I want to help my son learn to eat a healthy diet... I'm pretty lucky there, as he is usually happier with an apple than candy.

The best way to manage the conspiracy: To go back to the basics of what I did to lose the first 45 pounds. Novel idea right? Do what was working and put it on repeat! That means healthy foods only in the house, unless I plan for an indulgence. Restaurants limited to 1-2 times a week. Being firm about my gym time & dietary needs. And perhaps most importantly, saying a big fat NOOOOOOOO!!!!! when the time calls for it.


I took the day off from the gym... and did this with the time...






I prepared some "convenience" food... which was desperately needed. Lettuce & celery chopped... waiting eagerly to be mixed with other ingredients for tasty salads. Measured Bare Naked Fit granola, almonds and chicken & beef jerky (high in sodium... but its a weakness that I allow for once in awhile). All of the bags are labeled with the amount, calorie & fat content...so I'm reminded of EXACTLY what I'm putting in my body when I reach for a bag. Taking the couple extra minutes to do that helps immensely as I go through the week. Often, I will mix and match with the bags to get the calories I'm allotting myself for a snack; so it makes it really easy to adapt to whatever I'm craving at any given time.

Random question: What kitchen appliance do you find the most helpful in your healthy lifestyle?